


Bonded

by lucifersfavoritechild



Series: Ironstrange Fics [2]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M, Psychic Bond, mindmeld, wong and rhodey are so done with their white boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-09 16:23:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15271485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucifersfavoritechild/pseuds/lucifersfavoritechild
Summary: “Is it going to be like this the whole time? We’re going to hear whatever each other’s thinking?”“Not just thoughts,” Wong said. “Emotions, physical sensations, dreams. I’d advise against getting into any fights. If one of you dies, the other will too. If you’re lucky.”“This day just keeps getting better,” Tony muttered.| As a result of a spell gone wrong, Tony and Stephen form a mental link.





	1. Chapter 1

Stephen set his tea down, looking at Tony curiously. When he didn’t do anything, Tony asked, “Well? Can you do that?”

Stephen shrugged casually, considering. “It’s possible, though I’ve never done anything like that. But I’m surprised you came to me.”

“Who else could I go to? You’re the only wizard I know.” Well, technically he knew Wong. But he didn’t trust him, not really. Stephen was with him on Titan, fought Thanos with him. Even if there was someone else who could help him with this, he didn’t think he would let them.

Stephen gave a little half-smile. “Just let me check the library.” Without waiting for a response, Stephen left, portaling away.

“Okay . . .” Tony said awkwardly. Quickly bored, he started to look around. He’d been in the sanctum before of course, but he’d been kind of preoccupied with the whole impending doom thing. For the first time, he let himself really _look_ at the place. There was nothing in the entry room that immediately stood out as strange — even the relics could pass as decorations — but the entire building had a weird, otherworldly feel that belonged more to a movie than real life.

Before he could touch anything, Stephen reappeared behind him, tapping his shoulder. “Jesus,” Tony said, whipping around. “Warn me next time.”

“I do what I want,” Stephen said casually, flipping through the book he was holding. “I think this will work.”

He held open the book for Tony to see. Not that it was very helpful— “Yes, I also am fluent in scribbles.”

Stephen rolled his eyes. “It’s in Sanskrit,” he explained. “Very old, but I think it’s what you need.” One of the book’s pages showed an image of a human brain inside a skull with curling symbols drawn around it. Stephen drew his scarred, shaking fingers over the pictures. “We’ll need to form a temporary psychic bond—”

Tony cut him off. “What? The whole point of this is that I _don’t_ want anyone in my head!”

“I know,” Stephen said, seeming surprisingly patient. “But I need to enter your mind to place the barrier. There are other spells, but they’re weak in comparison. This one will keep anyone or anything from getting in your head. No mind-reading, no— no visions.”

Tony winced, remembering what Wanda made him see. _Fuck, was that really so long ago?_ It felt like days. “Fine. If you think this is the best way, then let’s just get it over with.”

“Tony,” Stephen said, closing the book, “if you’re uncomfortable—”

“Trust me, I’ll feel better once it’s done. Let’s just . . . c’mon.”

Stephen clearly wasn’t happy, but he lead Tony to an empty room nearby. He pulled the curtains over the windows, leaving only a dim lamp for light. “Sit down,” he said, gesturing to a rug in the center of the floor. Tony obeyed warily, watching the sorcerer move. He didn’t have the cloak, but he was still wearing his blue robes. He sat down in front of Tony, crossing his legs.

Tony tried for a smile. “What? No candles, creepy symbols, cursed necklaces . . .”

Stephen shook his head, fighting a grin. “I hate to disappoint you, but this particular spell only requires my magic. Although I can light some candles if you want. Set the mood.”

“Maybe later. So, what now?”

“We need to establish a mental bond. Once we do, I can enter your mind and form the barrier.” He held up his hands. “May I?”

Tony nodded jerkily, growing increasingly uneasy at the thought of another person in his head. “Yeah. Go ahead.”

Stephen reached forward, gentle pressing his fingers against Tony’s temples. “Be gentle,” Tony said, trying to lighten the mood. “It’s my first time.”

Stephen laughed. “I’ll be careful.” He closed his eyes, concentrating. Tony followed suit.

For a moment, there was nothing. Then he felt it. A sort of pressure in the back of his mind. A presence.

Tony jerked, raising his hands to Stephen’s arms. “What—”

“It’s alright, it’s just me.” Tony could feel it, feel _him_ , in his mind, growing. It moved around, blending into his own mind. It was . . . calm. Quiet. Steady.

Tony tried to control his breathing, reminding himself that Stephen was there to help and wouldn’t hurt him. But that became harder to remember as the presence became sharper, entangling in his thoughts. He was a child, looking up at his mother; a teenager, laughing with Rhodey; a child again, listening to a stranger tell him his parents were dead; an adult, drowning himself in a bottle of whiskey; a prisoner, choking on dirty water and screaming from the pain in his chest—

Tony panicked, his heart racing as he clawed as Stephen’s arms. “ _Stop_ —” He choked on air. He couldn’t see, couldn’t _think_.

“Tony, calm down,” Stephen said, his own panic leaking into his words. “You’re having a panic attack, I need to cut the bond—” His voice broke off. Tony realized he was screaming. “ _T_ _ony!_ ”

Then the world went black.

 

* * *

 

It took a minute for Tony to realize he was awake. There was something covering his eyes, and his arms were being held down. Or he thought they were. They were just tucked in tightly. _So . . . bed_ , Tony thought, still confused.

_What?_

Tony jerked up, the washcloth falling from his eyes. He blinked, trying to take in his surroundings, but failing since he was a bit focused on whatever the fuck that just was. “Who said that?”

_Tony?_

“Uh, yeah, who the hell are you and why are you in my head?” Jesus. This is exactly what he didn’t want—

“Tony, could you stop . . .” Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw Stephen sit up in a bed next to his own. “ _Thinking_ so loudly? I already have a headache.”

Tony stared at him. “WHAT—”

“Oh good,” Wong said, entering the room with a tray. “You’re both awake. Now I can yell at you to your faces.” He set the tray down and handed Tony a cup. “Drink this, it will help with your head.” He turned to Stephen. “What were you thinking? You’re not ready for mental magic, not with another person.”

“It seemed simple,” Stephen said, and Tony could feel his frustration and annoyance, and _Oh God_ —

“Please, not this again,” Stephen groaned. “The last time was bad enough. If we keep going, we’ll never stay awake.”

“Drink the tea,” Wong said. “It will calm your nerves.”

Tony did so, his hands shaking. He gulped it down, his blood rushing so loudly he could hear it. “What— what happened?”

“You suffered a panic attack while you and Stephen were . . . connected. And since Stephen didn’t actually know what he was doing, he didn’t know how to calm you properly.”

“It was a simple spell!”

“That doesn’t mean you were ready for it!” Wong snapped. He looked away from them both, drawing in a breath. “Your emotions compounded, forming a feedback loop where your fear and panic fed into each other’s minds, and you blacked out. That would have been the end of it, but the bond was still intact. And since you idiots didn’t tell anyone what you were doing, it was hours before I found you. During that time, the bond . . . solidified, so to speak.”

Stephen started to panic then, but Tony could tell he was trying to keep calm. “But it can be broken, right?”

“It can,” Wong said, handing Stephen his tea. “But not yet. It’s too new, too raw. If we try to cut it now, you’re both likely to end up vegetables for the rest of your lives.”

“Then when?” Tony asked, incredibly thankful for the tea as it was pretty much the only thing keeping him from knocking them out again.

Wong thought about it for a moment. “It’s hard to say. A few weeks, most likely. Maybe longer. Enough time for it to grow lax. Until then, you’ll need to stay together. Separation would be painful, both physically and mentally.”

“Oh, great,” Stephen said, falling back to his bed. _What did I do to deserve this?_ he thought before glaring at Tony. _Don’t answer that._

Tony really wanted to shoot back something snarky, but he was more focused on what Wong was telling them. “Is it going to be like this the whole time? We’re going to hear whatever each other’s thinking?”

“Not just thoughts,” Wong said. “Emotions, physical sensations, dreams. I’d advise against getting into any fights. If one of you dies, the other will to. If you’re lucky.”

“This day just keeps getting better,” Tony muttered.

He didn’t say anything, but Tony could tell that Stephen really wanted to throw a pillow at him.


	2. Chapter 2

“Seriously? So you guys can like, read each other’s minds?” Peter asked, looking up from the project he was working on at his desk.

Tony shrugged. “It’s a bit more complicated than that. It’s more like . . . I can _feel_ what he feels, but not entirely. It’s almost like an echo, or a veil. Unless he’s feeling something strongly, I can pretty much ignore it.”

Peter nodded, brows burrowing as he thought about it. “But can you hear what he’s thinking?”

Tony stopped working on his plans for his next suit. “I . . . don’t know. I could earlier, but it’s calmed down since then.” He thought about it for a minute. “Wait a minute, why can’t I still hear him? Hold on, let me figure this out.” _Maybe he’s asleep?_ No . . . Wong said they’d experience each other’s dreams (which was _not_ something he was looking forward to). “I’m going to test something.”

For about thirty seconds, he kept his head entirely clear. Then— _HEY!_

Tony winced a second later. “Fuck.”

Not only had Stephen stumbled, apparently smacking his elbow (which actually kind of hurt), he was now mentally shouting at him. _What the FUCK!_ Then he saw orange sparks appear in the workshop, and Stephen stepped out in front of him. “What the _fuck_ was that Stark?”

Tony raised his hands defensively. “I was just testing it, I hadn’t heard you in a while—”

“I was trying to be quiet! I was meditating!” Mentally, Stephen was still ranting at him, causing the beginnings of a headache to form in their heads.

“Well, I’m sorry—”

“I hit my elbow—”

“I know, it hurts like a bitch—”

“Oh, well I’m so sorry that _you’re_ hurting, Tony! It’s bad enough that it’s your fault we’re in this mess—”

“You know, you really shouldn’t yell in front of a child— where did Peter go?” Peter, along with his bookbag and coat, was gone. “Um, Friday, where did Peter go?”

“Mr. Parker went to your living room to watch TV, Boss.”

“When did he do that?”

“Around the time Doctor Strange started to turn red, Boss.”

“Oh. Okay, make sure he doesn’t get anything on the couch.”

“Will do.”

He turned back to Stephen, who seemed to have calmed down some. At least, he had stopped shouting, both out loud and in Tony’s head. Tony was about to apologize again when Stephen said, “I’m sorry.”

Tony stared at him. “What?” Mentally, he felt out for their connection. He felt sincere. “Why?”

“I said this was your fault, and I shouldn’t have.”

Tony tried to shrug it off. “It’s fine—”

“No, it’s not. I shouldn’t have gotten so upset. It wasn’t your fault.”

“I mean, it kind of was—”

“No, it wasn’t,” Stephen insisted, frowning. “Tony, do you think it was?”

“Well . . . yeah. If I hadn’t—”

“Hadn’t _what_? Had a panic attack? That’s not your fault. If anything, it’s my fault. I should have had Wong with us, or even asked someone else to do it—”

Tony shook his head. “You were the only one I trusted to do it.”

Stephen stilled, seeming speechless. His feelings leaked into Tony’s — a warm, soft feeling. It took a moment for him to recognize what it was. _Fondness. Affection._

They looked at each for a minute before Stephen said, “I think I’ll go back upstairs.”

“Alright. Don’t go far.”

“Got ya. And Tony?”

Tony looked up at him.

Stephen opened a portal, smiling cheekily. “Please don’t shout anymore.”

“Boo.”

* * *

Tony did not want to go to sleep.

He’d been awake for twenty-two hours. Far from his worst, but he could feel exhaustion weighing on him. It wasn’t until Stephen told him to go to bed that he realized it wasn’t his.

 _I don’t want to go to bed_ , Tony told him petulantly.

_I’m tired. And I know you’re tired because I am. Go to sleep._

Tony ignored him after that, but before long he started yawning. He closed his eyes to rest and leaned against his worktable. He started a moment later when a hand landed on his shoulder.

“Come on, Tony,” Stephen said softly. “Go to bed.”

Tony yawned again, rubbing his eye with the back of his hand. “Mm, fine.” He stood up unsteadily. He started to head for the elevator, but Stephen stopped him, gesturing to the open portal behind him. “Oh. Thanks.” He made his way through the portal, Stephen close behind him, soon falling into his bed. “Night, doc.”

“Goodnight, Tony.”

* * *

He could feel it — water in his mouth, his nose, his lungs. The pressure threatened to crush him, weighing down his limbs and chest. His hands clawed at his throat, desperate for breath. The light started to fade from the water, slowly turning it murky grey and then black. He stared into the darkness as little pinpricks of light started to dot the sky. The water vanished from his lungs, replaced by . . . nothing. His hands were covered in blood from his neck. He tried to breath, to scream, to cry for help, but there was no one to hear him—

“Wake up, Tony,” someone said, shaking his shoulder. “You’re having a nightmare. You need to wake up.” The words repeated themselves in his head, like an echo. _Wake up, Anthony. You’re safe. I’m here._

Tony’s eyes shot open, his hands scrambling for purchase. Stephen leaned over him, gripping his arm. “It’s alright,” he said softly. “I’m here.”

Tony panted, looking around the room. He fell back against his bed as he realized what happened. “Fuck. Christ, I’m sorry.”

“You say that a lot,” Stephen said, surprisingly calm.

“I don’t want you to have to go through my nightmares.”

Stephen shrugged. “I thought it would probably happen. I don’t _blame_ you, Tony. I’m just glad I could wake you up.” He paused for a moment, thinking intently, before adding, “I’ll call Wong in the morning and see if there’s anything we can do to stop dreaming until this is over. Might be nice to actually get a full night’s sleep, for once. Think we can hold out ‘til then?”

“Looks like we’ll have to.” Tony expected to be ready to get up, but he was still tired.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Stephen said, not even seeming to realize Tony hadn’t spoken out loud. “I usually get more than—” he looked out the closest window— “what, three hours of sleep?”

Tony sighed in an over-exaggerated, long-suffering sort of way. “Guess I’ll just have to be well-rested for once.”

“However will you manage,” Stephen said dryly before standing up. Before Tony could even ask himself how he didn’t notice that Stephen was sitting on his bed, the doctor said, “I’ll go back to my room. Try to get some sleep.” He was halfway to the door when he stopped in his tracks, looking back to the bed. “Tony,” Stephen said slowly, “do you want me to stay?”

“No,” Tony said quickly, thinking, _Yes._

Stephen smiled. “I heard that.”

_Fuck._

Stephen smiled wider, “Alright,” he said, turning back, “but watch where you put your hands.” He joined Tony in bed, pulling the blankets over them. They lay there awkwardly for a moment before Stephen pulled him closer, close enough that Tony could feel the fabric of his shirt against his chest.

Tony sighed, feeling the sorcerer's warmth seep into him. “Is this too weird?”

“I’ve done stranger.”

Tony opened his mouth to say something.

“Don’t.”

“Spoilsport.” He let his body relax. There was a dull, aching pain in his hands. It had been there all day, but he had blown it off, thinking it was just some sort of weird after-effect from the spell. Now, he felt Stephen’s shaking hands against his collarbone.

They looked at each other. Tony could barely make out his eyes in the darkness. “Can you feel it?” Tony asked quietly. “The pain in my chest?”

After a quiet moment, Stephen nodded. “Yes. But I don’t mind.” Tony could feel his indecision. Then he placed his hand over Tony’s scars where the arc reactor had been.

They were silent before Stephen said, “Go to sleep now, Tony.”


	3. Chapter 3

Stephen was already gone when Tony woke up the next morning. _He must not have wanted to stay._ And that was fine, they were barely friends, he could hardly expect—

 _Tony, please stop moping and come get breakfast._ The feeling of Stephen was warm with amusement and exasperation.

Blushing slightly, Tony got dressed before meeting Stephen in the kitchen. He was leaning against the table, sipping from a mug. He smiled when he saw Tony. “I think you passed your caffeine addiction onto me. I could barely function until I had a cup.” He looked at the coffee machine longingly. “In fact, it’s still calling to me. It’s weird. It’s very weird.”

Tony hummed thoughtfully, opening a cabinet before Stephen handed him a cup. “Already fixed you a cup.” He gestured to the table. “There’s also eggs, bacon, and toast. You were hungry.”

“Yeah, I didn’t really eat anything yesterday. Felt kind of sick.” While he ate, they kept up a steady stream of conversation through the link. _Any plans for today?_

Stephen shrugged. _Not really. Probably just talk to Wong, ask him to send over some books to read. You?_

Tony groaned. _I have to talk to Steve and the others today._ They were meeting to discuss the reintegration of the Rogue Avengers into the team after they helped defeat Thanos. At first, Tony’d thought he’d be glad to have them back, but it was turning out ot be more of a pain than anything else.

Stephen frowned, sensing his unease. _Do you want me there with you? I could help keep them in line._

Tony shook his head. _Don’t worry about it. I can hold my own._ He looked at the table awkwardly, trying to decide how to bring up his next point. Stephen watched him curiously. _Thank you for last night. I felt a lot better after . . ._ He trailed off.

The doctor smiled. _It was no problem, Tony. I understand what it’s like to have nightmares all the time. I hate for you to go through that._

Tony stopped eating to look at him. _You’re nice._

Stephen arched a brow, watching him over the rim of his cup. _Did you think I wasn’t?_

 _Well, you’re kind of an asshole sometimes. Not_ **_all_ ** _of the time, but enough to be noticeable._

He considered it before shrugging. _Fair enough._ His eyes flicked to the clock. _When does your meeting start?_

 _Um . . . Too soon. I should go._ He got up, belatedly realizing that he’d been done eating for a while and they were talking in their heads for no reason. “Want to do something for dinner tonight?”

“Chinese sounds good. Wanna watch a movie?”

“Yeah, that sounds good. I’m only gonna be a few floors down, so just . . . mentally shout if you need me, I guess.”

“Will do. Try not to bite their heads off.”

“No promises.”

* * *

Tony rested his head in his hand, trying very hard not to groan. It probably didn’t matter at this point, but at least Stephen would be proud of him for being professional.

 _Very proud_ , Stephen said cheekily. _Do you want some aspirin? You’re starting to get a headache._

 _I’ll be fine._ Regardless, a moment later a portal opened over the table. Stephen’s arm reached through, setting down a bottle of aspirin in front of him.

Smiling, Tony said, “Thank you—” The hand popped back out of the portal again, this time holding a mug of coffee. “Thank you.”

The portal closed as Stephen said, _You’re welcome._ Tony caught himself smiling as he opened the pill bottle.

“What the fuck was that?” Clint said suddenly, completely ruining his moment.

Tony set his mug down, pretending to pay attention to the Stark pad in front of him. “Don’t worry, it’s just Stephen.”

“Who is that?” Steve asked, seeming very concerned.

Tony looked at him. “Doctor Strange. Wait, am I the only one who knows his first name? That’s kind of sad.”

“I knew his name,” Natasha said.

“That sounds like you,” Tony muttered. “Moving on.”

“Wait a moment,” Wanda said suspiciously. “How are you communicating with him?”

Tony waved it away. “There’s a thing going on. We have a thing.”

“A thing?”

“Yes, a thing. One that you are not and should not be involved in.”

“What kind of thing?” Sam Wilson asked curiously.

“I _just said_ that you don’t need to know about the thing.”

“No, you said that we weren’t _involved_ in it.”

“And you really only said that to Wanda,” Clint pointed out.

Tony rolled his eyes, “Fine. It is a thing that _none of you_ need to know about _or_ be involved in. Okay? Let’s get back to the subject at hand.”

“I agree with Tony,” Steve said, sending each of his teammates a look to get them to settle down.

“I like that attitude a lot more. Let’s try to keep that in mind.”

Things actually went pretty well for about ten minutes — everyone kept their head even when they clearly didn’t want to, and Wanda actually seemed pleased to hear that Vision’s recovery was doing well — but then it all started to go downhill.

Tony read aloud from his monitor, occasionally cracking a smile when Stephen chimed in with a sarcastic comment. “The UN committee that has been appointed to oversee the Avengers team has determined that all returning members be made to undergo a training course to ensure that they are able to perform their duties safely so as to preserve lives and property—”

“Are you serious?” Clint said suddenly. “That’s ridiculous!”

“Clint,” Steve began, his own face cool and composed, “we said we’d stay calm.” He turned to Tony. “But this is kind of ridiculous. After what happened with Thanos, we thought—”

“I’m not the one who came up with all this stuff, Rogers. I’m just the messenger.” He considered leaving it there and letting them take it up with someone else, but he was irritated enough not to. “And honestly, what is so wrong about this? God forbid any of you actually know what you’re doing.”

Really, he should’ve just kept his mouth shut.

Pretty much immediately, all of them started shouting over each other (he was pretty sure Natasha was just joining in to fuck with him, too). He mostly just rolled his eyes and waited for them to calm down.

 _Should I get involved?_ Stephen asked. His emotions were mixing into Tony’s, making him agitated and angry. His hands ached.  

 _No, everything’s fine._ He clenched his fist, straining to separate their feelings. _Really, I’ve got it._

He tore himself away from their inner conversation, about to try backtracking, when Wanda stood up dramatically, slamming her glowing-red hands on the table.

Before Tony or Steve or anyone else could make a move, a portal opened in the room, Stephen Strange stepping through only seconds later. “Good morning,” he said cheerfully.

Tony stared at him. _What are you doing?_

 _I could tell you didn’t feel safe, so I decided to involve myself._ To the others, he said, “I’ve decided to come and sit in on the meeting.” He pulled out an empty chair next to Tony and sat down, turning so that he was firmly blocking Steve and Wanda from Tony. “Thought it might do me some good for me to know all the new rules and things that are going to be in place now. Tony, if you could—”

“Excuse me,” Steve said. Everyone else had quieted, seeming more confused than anything else. Even Wanda had sat back down. “Mister Strange—”

“ _Doctor_ Strange.”

Steve stared at him. “ . . . _Doctor_ Strange, you do realize that you’re not an Avenger, and really shouldn’t be here, right?”

“Well, that won’t be a problem as long as you realize that I’m not going to leave on my own, and you really can’t _make_ me leave.” He looked around at them. “Should we continue?”

* * *

 _You shouldn’t have done that_ , Tony told him, leading Stephen into his private elevator. _I had it under control._

 _I don’t care, I couldn’t stand them acting like that. Besides_ , his tone turned smug, _you were happy I was there. I felt it. You were positively_ **_preening_ ** _to have me defending you._ He smirked. _Like a peacock._

 _You can shut up now_ , Tony said, trying to quell the blush spreading over his neck.

_A red and gold peacock._

_Stop._

_You’d make a good peacock—_

_If you don’t stop, then I’m going to start singing whatever songs come to mind. Then they’ll get stuck in your head and you’ll never escape._

_Aw, but if you do that, then they’ll be stuck in your head too._

_I’ll take my chances._

A beat passed.

 _Fine_ , Stephen said, sighing in a put-upon way. _I’ll stop. For now._

They spent the rest of the elevator ride in silence before it opened into the penthouse. Tony was about to ask what movie he wanted to watch when Stephen said, _I don’t think we should have Wanda around. She’s too dangerous, she doesn’t have any control over her powers._ He felt serious. _Dead_ serious, even.

_What do you think we should do?_

_Send her to Kamar-Taj._

_What’s that?_

_It’s where I learned the mystic arts, and it’s where most sorcerers live._

_Oh. So it’s Hogwarts?_

Exasperation filled them. _Please don’t._

_Oh, fine. But only because that tired me out too. Go on._

Stephen shrugged. _Like I said, send her there. Either she’ll learn to control her powers, or they’ll keep her contained. Either way, better than having her do whatever she wants without consequence._

Tony considered it. _It’s a good idea. But contrary to popular belief, she_ **_is_ ** _an adult. I can’t just ship her off whenever I want._

_Talk to her, then. Reason with her. If that doesn’t work, then try talking to some higher-ups and see if they agree with you._

_It could work. Honestly, I don’t want to talk about it right now._

_Later, then._ His presence was soothing, making it clear that he would do nothing to make him uncomfortable. _You need a break._

 _Maybe you’re right._ He was already tired, and it wasn’t even time for lunch. _I think I’m going to take the rest of the day off._

_You should. The world can wait._

They argued for a while about what movie to watch before agreeing to let Friday decide, which is how they ended up watching _Finding Nemo_.

Wong came over after lunch. Apparently, having been called by Stephen before he barged in on the meeting. Now, the sorcerer explained the situation to him.

Wong nodded. “There are ways to keep you from having nightmares, but I fear what the strain that blocking dreams entirely might do when your minds are already under stress from one another.”

Stephen arched a brow, looking at him. “Is that alright with you?”

Tony laughed. “Are you kidding? Is being able to go to sleep knowing I’m actually going to sleep through the night alright?”

“Is that a ‘yes’?” Wong asked.

“Do it, magic man.”

They sat in the living room as Wong made several small, orange symbols. “Normally I would leave this to Stephen,” he explained, seeming surprisingly casual, “but considering his most recent forays into mental magic . . .”

“Bite me, Wong.”

The spell itself took less than a minute. When it was done, Tony looked at Wong in surprise. “Is that it?”

“It’s not a complicated spell, Stark.” Wong stood, opening a portal. “I’ll come and see you in a week to check if the bond can be broken. Until then, try not to kill each other.” He left before either of them could think of a retort.

* * *

Tony was pleased to find that he was not incapable of keeping certain thoughts from Stephen. Mostly by refusing to acknowledge them and putting some distance between him and the sorcerer.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have the same level of control over his dreams.

He wasn’t sure how the dream began, but it ended up with Stephen under him, looking up with playful blue-green eyes. His hands moved over his arms to his chest, flicking his nipples with one hand while the other pawed at the front of his pants. The doctor grinned. “Are you getting hard for me, Anthony?”

Tony nodded.

Stephen laughed. “I can feel it. You feel so good, Tony.” The hand on his chest travelled to his hair, gripping it and holding him back so he could stare at him. “God, look at you. So fucking hot for me. Rutting against my hand like a bitch in heat.” He sat up more fully, inches from his face. “Do you want me to fuck you? Do you want to feel me, buried deep inside you, fucking you so hard you feel it for days to come? Tell me, Anthony. Tell me what you want—”

_Tony?_

Tony gasped, eyes blinking as he tried to take in his surroundings. It took him a few moments to remember what happened. Then—

 _Oh fuck._ He ran his hands down his face. _Jesus fuck, Stephen, I didn’t—_

 _It’s alright._ There was no change in the actual sound of his voice that Tony could tell, but it felt . . . different. _I sincerely doubt you did that on purpose._

Tony’s head began to clear some. Without really thinking about it, he reached out to Stephen through the bond, trying to gauge what he was feeling. He jerked. He felt was Stephen did stronger than ever: the bed beneath him, a blanket kicked to the edge of the bed, the dull pain in his hands. His emotions started to mix with Tony’s: amusement, slight embarrassment, and — Tony sucked in a breath — arousal.

_Stephen?_

_Yes, Tony?_

_Do you feel that, or am I imagining it?_

It took a moment for him to respond. _Yes._ Tony felt Stephen’s hand slide down his own stomach, taking his cock in hand. _Is this alright?_

Tony nodded eagerly, his skin flushed with desire. _Yes._ His hand clawed at the sheets as Stephen began to run his hand up and down. Tony started to reach for his own cock, but Stephen said, _No. Don’t touch yourself._

Tony whined, biting his lip, but didn’t disobey. _Good_ , Stephen said. It felt like he was speaking right next to him, murmuring in his ear. Tony could almost feel the doctor pressing down on him. The feeling of his hands brushed over him like an echo, making Tony jerk whenever the doctor touched a sensitive spot.

 _I like you like this_ , Stephen said idly. _All desperate and needy, responding so well to every little thing I do._ He used the pre-come to slick his hand. _God, I can feel you. I’d like to touch you. Like to fuck you into the bed and watch you come apart. Would you like that, Tony?_

“Yes,” Tony gasped out loud, his hips jerking.

Stephen chuckled. _I wish I could see. I bet you look perfect right now. All flushed skin and messy hair and swollen lips—_ His voice broke off as he moaned. Their pleasure fed into each other, pushing them closer and closer to the edge.

Stephen was breathing harshly, barely drawing in breath. _Touch yourself, Tony. Touch yourself and come for me, I want to feel you, I want you so fucking bad—_ He cut himself off with a gasp, coming at the same time as Tony, spurting streams of white across their chests and stomachs.

They lay in their beds for a few minutes, panting as the awkwardness of the situation settled in around them. Finally Stephen said, _Tony—_

_No. You know what? No. I don't feel like dealing with this right now. I'm going back to sleep._

After a moment, Stephen seemed to nod. _Yeah, okay. Goodnight._

Tony did not respond.


	4. Chapter 4

Waking up, Tony had a few blissful moments where he didn’t remember what happened the night before.

Then it all came flooding back.

The doctor was being surprisingly quiet, though Tony could tell he was awake. His mind was calm and clear — meditating, probably. If Tony concentrated, he could tell Stephen was in the penthouse’s living room. He considered avoiding him altogether and just heading down to the workshop instead, but Stephen said, _Tony, I can tell you’re awake. Come and talk to me._

Tony winced. _Give me a minute._ He took his time in the bathroom and getting dressed, but after that, there was nothing he could do to put it off.

He went to the living room.

Stephen was sitting off to the side, eyes closed as he meditated. He knew as soon as Tony came in, waving him over. “Good morning, Tony.”

“Hey . . .” Tony said, wandering over to him.

Stephen opened his eyes, looking up at Tony. “You’re uncomfortable.”

Tony ducked his head. “I was hoping you wouldn’t notice.”

“Well, you’re definitely getting better at blocking me, but this is . . . something you feel very strongly.”

“And you don’t?”

Stephen shrugged. “You tell me.”

Tony looked at him before reaching out to the bond, similar to trying to grasp an emotion or a memory. Immediately, he felt what Stephen did — serenity, curiosity, affection. Tony pulled back like a kid who touched a hot stove.

“Does that answer your question?” Stephen asked. There was a certain lilt to his voice; a sort of casual amusement.

Tony shook his head. “It . . . this doesn’t make any sense.”

“What doesn’t make sense?”

“You don’t like me. You _can’t_ like me.”

“Why wouldn’t I like you?” Stephen asked, sounding genuinely confused now.

“Off the top of my head? I’m egotistical, narcissistic, selfish—”

“Oh, please,” Stephen said, rolling his eyes. “Maybe you want people to think you are, for whatever dumbass reason, but you’ve done more for the universe than anyone else. As such, I call bullshit.”

“You’ll get tired of me,” Tony said, more certain this time. “Everyone gets tired of me. _I’m_ tired of me.”

Stephen stood up, facing him with the most serious expression Tony had ever seen on his face. “Tony, I lived through more than fourteen million possible futures on Titan. And I remember all of it, although, admittedly, they do tend to run together. But you were right beside me, every time. I know you better than anyone else. And I’m not tired of you yet.”

“Well then you’re probably pretty close to your breaking point,” Tony said quietly, suddenly aware of how close he was.

Stephen’s gaze was heated; the bond was practically pulsing. “Oh, I’m definitely on an edge, but not the one you think.”

Tony stared at him, his blue-green eyes and cupid’s bow lips. Then he grabbed Stephen by the front of his robes and pulled him forward.

Their mouths clashed together, and the bond floods them with emotion. Tony doesn’t even have the thought to process it. There was only him and Stephen, pressing against one another, running their hands through each other’s hair, pushing and pulling at the other as they stumbled their way to his bedroom.

Stephen fell back onto Tony’s bed, looking up at him as the other man leaned over him. Tony tenderly drew a hand down his cheek. _I dreamed of you like this._

Stephen reached up, pressing a kiss to his mouth. _I remember._ He pulled him down, slotting a knee in between his legs as he pulled Tony’s shirt up and over his head. The doctor chuckled when Tony struggled to remove his robes, taking pity on him after a minute and vanishing his clothes, leaving him naked and hard beneath the other man.

Tony had to reach over to his nightstand to get out the lube and condoms — which was kind of difficult since Stephen was drawing his hand up and down Tony’s legs and back. Tony whined. _You’re making this difficult._

Stephen just grinned at him.

Tony pulled the doctor up to the head of the bed, nipping up and down the column of his throat. Stephen returns the favor by scratching down his back, leaving thin pink lines before turning his attention to Tony’s pants. He pulled them down his legs, allowing Tony to shuck them and his boxers off in a movement that really wasn’t as fluid as he’d hoped. Stephen didn’t seem to care, quickly moving to roll a condom down Tony's erection, taking the opportunity to run his shaking hand up and down Tony's cock a few times, shuddering when Tony's pleasure bounced back to him.

Tony breathed harshly, looking down at Stephen with dreamy eyes. _Fuck, you're perfect._

 _I try._ He slicks his hands with the lube, pushing a finger into himself.

Tony’s hips jerked. _Woah, okay. That’s kind of weird._

 _You’re enjoying it_ , Stephen responded with a smirk.

 _Well, yeah. Still kind of weird._ His groaned when the doctor hit a sensitive spot, shutting his eyes. _Fuck._

_Maybe if you hurry up._

Tony watched with heated eyes as Stephen scissored himself open, suddenly reaching out with his other hand to spread the lubricant over Tony’s cock, moaning in unison with him. Stephen keened, pulling Tony in for a kiss. _Fuck me, Tony, fuck—_ **_oh_** _._ His hands scrambled for purchase on Tony’s back as the other man pushed into him, crying out and using his legs to move Tony closer, rocking his hips.

This was normally the point where Tony would say something snarky, but he was too far gone himself. He could feel what Stephen did, feel himself moving in him, the hand Stephen had on his own cock. He was brimming with feelings and emotions — Bliss. Adoration. Pleasure. Love. Their thoughts and memories and feelings blended together until it’s like they were one person with one mind and one life, existing only together and never apart. And for the first time in his life, he wasn’t alone.

* * *

Rhodey watched Tony carefully as he hummed happily, working on his friend’s new leg braces. “You’re in a good mood.”

“Why shouldn’t I be?” Tony asked. He was practically buzzing, a smile plastered on his face.

“The last time we talked, you were pretty upset about the thing with Strange.”

Tony shrugged. “I got used to it.”

“Really? You, of all the people on Earth, used to having someone in your head twenty-four/seven?”

“Actually? It's kind of . . . nice. Comforting. I'm never alone anymore. And it's not overbearing, usually. Like right now. It's just a sort of . . . presence in the back of my mind. He’s there if I need him.”

Though Tony was being a lot more forthcoming than anyone would expect, Rhodey could tell there was more he wanted to say that he was holding back. Defeated, Rhodey sighed, taking out his phone. “Okay. I can tell you want to talk about . . . whatever it is you want to talk about, so I am going to give you exactly sixty seconds to get it all out, no holds barred. Got it?” He held up a finger. “And . . . go.”

“I had sex with Stephen.”

“Knew it.”

“It was great. I could feel what he was feeling, and he felt what I felt, and it just kept building higher and higher, until it felt like I was going to explode. I think I blacked out for a minute.”

“Thirty seconds, speed it up.”

“We did it again later and he made clones of himself, so there were three of him and one of me.” Tony sighed blissfully. “I’m pretty sure I achieved Nirvana. I could’ve died, and I would not have given a single fuck. Hell, I might be dead now. I don’t even know if I can explain it properly.”

“I really hope you can’t. Thankfully, you’re out of time.”

“You’re no fun.” Before he could go on, Stephen reached out to him, saying, _What are you doing? Your thoughts were going in a . . . certain direction._

_Just talking to Rhodey about you._

Rhodey watched him, eyes narrowed. “Are you talking to him right now?”

“Yeah.” _Rhodey says hi._

A moment passed.

“Stephen says hi.”

“ . . . okay.”

_We’re good over here. Go back to your books._

Stephen seemed to nod, fading into the background. Tony looked at his friend. “We need to get you a wizard.”

“I’m happy for you, Tony, but I think I’m good.”

“Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.”

“I’m knocking it.”

* * *

For the next three weeks, Tony and Stephen stayed in the penthouse. The rogues were reintegrating more or less well, Peter stopped by every now and then, and Tony and Stephen kept to themselves. Most days, Tony spent hours upon hours in his workshop. The first time Stephen came down, Tony expected him to be annoyed that he was spending so much time like Pepper used to be. Instead he started asking questions about his projects and watching him work. They actually had a good time — especially when Stephen fucked him over the worktable.

Every three days, Wong came by to see if the bond was ready to broken. Tony dreaded these moments, though it only ever took a few minutes. It normally ended with Wong saying, “It’s not ready. I’ll come back.”

But this time when Wong tested the bond, he nodded. “The bond has relaxed enough to be cut. I can do it now.”

Tony looked at him, then at Stephen. “Oh. Already?”

Wong stared at him. “It’s been over three weeks.”

“Yeah, I got that.”

Stephen shifted uncomfortably from his position on the couch. “I guess, if you’re ready—”

“I am,” Tony said, too quickly. “We should probably just get it over with.”

Tony could tell Stephen was hurt, but the other man nodded. “You’re right. Wong, if you will.”

Tony expected something similar to when he and Stephen were first connected. But it was nothing like there. There was no connection, no push. Immediately, he felt something being cut, like the snapping of a stretched rubber band. He was sent spiralling, his mind reaching out for something to grab onto. But there was nothing there.

He was alone.

Tony opened his eyes, breathing harshly. Beside him, Stephen was in a similar state, his hands shaking more than usual. Instinctively, Tony tried to reach out and comfort him, but nothing happened. Stephen didn’t even react.

“It worked,” Wong said, standing. “We should return to the sanctum.” Without further question, he opened a portal, stepping through to the sanctum and waiting for Stephen to follow.

Tony and the doctor stood, watching each other. “I suppose it’s time for me to go.”

“You can stay if you want,” Tony said. “You’re hardly a burden.”

“I would, but I need to help Wong protect the sanctum. Really, it’s bad enough that I’ve been gone as long as I have.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. I guess I’ll see you the next time there’s a world-ending disaster.”

Stephen smiled. “Can’t wait.”

“Stephen!” Wong called from the other side of the portal. “Hurry up! I want to order Mexican food.”

“That’s my cue. Goodbye, Tony.” Stephen stared at him with his piercing pale eyes.

 _Stay_ , Tony thought. “Bye, Stephen.” _Please stay._

Stephen didn’t hear him.


	5. Chapter 5

Rhodey awkwardly patted Tony's shoulder, trying to comfort his friend. “Come on, Tony. You’ve been moping for a week now.”

“I’m fine,” Tony insisted. The fact that he’d done little more than lay on the couch and watch Disney movies for the past seven days said otherwise.

“You can’t keep doing this to yourself, man. You’ve got to get up.” Rhodey racked his brain trying to think of something to entice Tony into getting up. “Do you want to work on your suit?”

“No.”

“Do you want to hang out with me and Pepper?”

“No.”

“Do you want . . . pizza?”

“No.”

“Okay, I don't know what else to do. But you can't keep wallowing in your own self-pity. It's not healthy.”

“I don't care.”

“Well _I_ do. C’mon, get up.”

“No.”

“Tony . . .” Rhodey tried to drag Tony into a standing position, but that only resulted in him slumping to the ground. “Dude! Get the hell up!”

“No, you can't make me.”

“You're being completely ridiculous.”

“I don't care.”

“Tony, I swear to _God_ , I will get Pepper on your ass!”

“You don't have that kind of power.”

“Tony—”

“No, Rhodey!” Tony shouted, looking up at him. “You don't understand! This wasn't just a stupid fucking— breakup! I feel like I lost a part of myself that I can't get back! And now I just have to live like a— a broken fucking shell!” After thinking about it, Tony had realized that whatever affection he’d thought had come from Stephen had been his own. He just hadn’t been able to tell the difference because of the bond.

Tony raised himself up just enough to get back on the couch. “Now go away and let me wallow in my misery.”

Rhodey sighed. “Tony . . .”

Before he could go on, orange sparks formed in the air in front of them. A portal formed in the room. Tony perked up, but fell back to the couch when he saw it was Wong.

The sorcerer looked at Tony with a stony expression. “You need to talk to Stephen.”

Tony and Rhodey looked at him. Rhodey asked, “What?”

“He’s been absolutely pathetic since he got back. All he does is lie on the couch, watching dumb movies and eating your stupid ice cream, whining about how you’ll never love him. It’s unbearable.”

Tony sat up fully. His voice was small. “He said that?”

“Yes. Multiple times. It’s been incredibly annoying.”

Rhodey nodded sympathetically. “I know what you mean. Tony’s been the same way all week.”

Wong looked at Tony, who, despite looking more alive and alert than he had all week, was still wrapped up in a blanket with unwashed hair. “I thought it was just mine. Did yours say that he was incomplete without the other?”

“Yes! I swear, this is the most dramatic he has ever been.”

“I know. I thought Stephen was melodramatic _before_ this. If only I knew.”

“Jesus, I feel you. I love Tony like a brother, but I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen him like this. And it’s not like he’s usually calm and reserved.”

“You have my sympathy. Although at least Stark doesn’t have a cloak to beat you away whenever you try to make him get up and stop acting like a child.”

“Yeah? Well earlier I tried to get him to stand up and he just . . . dropped to the ground. He _refused_ to stand up. He just lay there on the floor before throwing a fit and getting back on the couch.”

“That’s nothing. Yesterday, Stephen— wait.” He looked at the couch. “Where did Stark go?”

Rhodey shot up, eyes searching the room for his friend. Tony was nowhere to be seen. “Friday? Where’s Tony?”

“Boss is currently in the elevator, heading to the lobby.”

Rhodey blinked. “I . . . guess he left.”

“Oh.” A beat passed before Wong said, "I would have portaled him there. He didn't need to go on his own."

“Yeah, he hasn’t been thinking straight.” They were silent for a moment before Rhodey said, “So . . . want to get lunch and complain about Tony and Strange some more?”

“ . . . Sure.”

* * *

Tony pounded on the door to 177A Bleecker Street. “Stephen! Open the door, Stephen!” He was pretty sure people were staring at him from the street, but he ignored them. “Come on, Strange! It’s me! I want to talk to you—” He fell forward as the door opened. “Stephen, I— Oh. Hello, again.”

Despite not having any eyes, the Cloak of Levitation seemed to be rather intensely staring at him. Then it hit his shoulder, pushing him further into the sanctum. “Are you taking me to Stephen?”

The Cloak didn't answer. It did not have a mouth.

Tony didn’t know much about the sanctum’s layout, so he decided to take his chances with the magic cape. It led him down a few hallways until they came to an open door. The Cloak gestured at it impatiently before fluttering off. Tony leaned around the door. Stephen was laying in a bed, watching _Titanic_ and despondently eating ice cream. He sighed when he heard Tony enter the room. “Wong, for the last time, I’m perfectly fine—” He stopped halfway through his sentence, staring at the door. “Tony? What are you—”

“I came to talk—” Tony said before coughing, his breathing hard. “Sorry, I wasn’t really thinking straight, so I ran part of the way here before I thought to call a cab.” His lungs weren’t what they were before Siberia and Titan. “We need to talk.”

“Did Wong put you up to this?" Stephen demanded. "Because I am absolutely fine, alright? Completely, totally, fine—”

“I’m not.”

Stephen stared at him, colorful eyes wide. “What?”

“I’m not fine. I haven’t been fine since you left. I miss you. I wanted you to stay.”

Stephen swallowed, opening and closing his mouth a few times before speaking. “You didn’t . . . you didn’t say anything.”

“I know,” Tony said, trying not to cross his arms. “I’m an idiot. I wanted you to stay on your own. To _want_ to.”

“I wanted you to ask me to stay.”

“Yeah, I got that _now_. But I didn't know what you were thinking and I started to think that I was confusing my emotions for yours, and I didn't know what to do.” He walked closer to Stephen, leaning on the bed and taking the doctor's face in hand, gently brushing the space beside his eye. “I want you, Stephen. I love you. I . . . want the bond back.” After a beat, he said, “But if that last one’s too much, you can just pretend I didn’t say it—”

Stephen cut Tony off by pulling him into a kiss, flipping them around so that he was pressing Tony into the bed, one hand on Tony’s cheek and another next to his head. “Tony,” he said gently, “you fucking idiot, of course I want it. I’ve missed you so much.”

Tony smiled up at him. “Can you do it now? I want to feel you.”

“Read my mind,” Stephen said, lifting his scarred hands to Tony’s temples and pressing their foreheads together.

“Was that a pun?” Tony started to ask, but then he caught his breath. The bond reformed almost instantly, like it had been waiting to come back. Immediately, he felt what Stephen did, all of his joy and wonder and love.

 _I’m here, Tony_ , Stephen said, pressing feather-light kisses to his face. _I’ll always be here, Tony. You’ll never be alone again._

And honestly? Tony couldn’t think of anything better.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me @incorrect-ironstrange on tumblr


End file.
